As a long-time user of both Home Assistant and Alexa, I’ve had my fair share of bumps in the road. One issue that’s been particularly frustrating is having to ask Alexa the same question twice to get a response. This happens across all four of our Echo Dots and even the Echo Dot with a clock. For example, if I ask for the weather, Alexa often responds with, ‘I’m sorry, something went wrong.’ A second attempt usually works, but it’s definitely a nuisance. I’ve tried rebooting everything from the modem to the Echo devices, and even updated all the firmware, but the problem persists. The Wi-Fi signal is strong, and other devices like our Fire TV work perfectly. It’s been about a year and a half of dealing with this, and I’m hoping someone out there has a solution or workaround.
On a more positive note, I’ve been experimenting with integrating Home Assistant with Alexa hardware in creative ways. I’ve designed and printed a custom ‘Home Assistant Voice Preview’ (HEVP) hat for one of my Echo devices, disabling the Alexa mic in the process. It’s been a fun project, and I’m curious if others have tried something similar. The goal is to keep using the hardware I already own while transitioning to a more open-source system like Home Assistant.
Another highlight has been exploring DIY projects with ESP32 and stepper motors to create custom home automation solutions. For instance, I built a weather display that uses a rotating disc to show the forecast. It’s been a great way to combine my love for coding and woodworking, even though the final product is 3D-printed for now. The project uses ESPHome for automation and integrates with Home Assistant, making it both functional and visually appealing.
I’d love to hear from others who’ve embarked on similar journeys—whether it’s troubleshooting Alexa issues, repurposing hardware, or building custom automation projects. Let’s share our challenges and successes to help each other improve our smart home setups!